Truck.



A. 'BROGHU.

TRUCK. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20. 1911.

PatentedjAug. 12, 1913.

2 SHBETSSHEET 1.

Attorneys A. BROGHU.

TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20. 19 1.

1,070,323. Patented Aug". 12, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET '2.

Witnesses W Inventor I, by

' Attorneys COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH co.,WAsHmG'roN, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED BROCHU, OF NORTH YAKIMA, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR F ONE-FOURTH TO JOHN GEROUX, ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM L. DUS'IMA-N, AND ONE-FOURTH TO JOSEPH BRUNELLE, OF NORTH YAKIMA, WASHINGTON.

TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 20, 1911.

Patented Aug. 12,1913. Serial No. 661,312.

I in trucks.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a device of this character in which the articles to be conveyed Wlll be held against displacement.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the article retaining means that the same will operate to grasp the article when the truck assumes a position to be propelled and release the articlewhen the truck is brought to a vertical position.

A still further object is to so construct the retaining means and arrange the same with relation to the truck that the same may move laterally to engage the article should the truck be advanced to contact with the article beyond its center.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of the truck, the article retaining means being open, one of the gripping aws being extended to one side. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a front elevatlon, the article retaining means being open and disposed at equidistant points with respect to the truck. Fig. 4: is a perspective View, the article retaining means being closed. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same, closed. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same, open, the truck being in a vertical position to receive its load.

In the drawings, 10 designates a truck which is of the usual construction, consisting of the vertical beams'll which constitute the handles and which are connected by the transverse beams 12. Slidably mounted between the beams 11 is a frame 13 which is substantially rectangular and which is guided in its movement by the vertically disposed members 15 which are secured to the inner edges of the beams 11. This frame is provided near its base with the horizontally disposed bar 16 which co-acts with the bar 16' of the frame, to form a guide for a sliding block 17.

Connecting the lower ends of the beams 11 is a transversely disposed shaft.l8 on which is arranged a roller 19. Supported on the shaft are a plurality of hangers 20 which support a shaft 21 on which the wheels 24 are mounted. These hangers extend beyond the shaft 21 and are each connected to a rod 25 which is curved and which extends within the slots 26 of the vertically disposed bars 16 of the frame. Both of the beams adjacent their lower ends are provided with slots 29 and pivoted adjacent the upper ends of said slots are the recurved article gripping members 30 which terminate in the gripping jaws 31 which contact with the article to be conveyed. The end portions of the rods 25 are ofi-set and secured against displacement by cotter pins'27. The bars 16" of the frame being twisted between their ends to dispose their slotted portions 28 in a manner to receive the offset ends of the rods. The gripping levers are connected to the sliding block 17 by links 32. This block as before stated being disposed for sliding movement between the bar 16 and the base bar of the frame. Thus the gripping members may move laterally to accommodate themselves to the article to be conveyed.

In loading the truck it is unnecessary to center the same with respect to the article to be conveyed as should the truck be advanced to a point where its center does not aline with the center of the article, the gripping members may be simultaneously, moved laterally to compensate for the difference between the center of the truck and the center of the article. The truck is brought to the position shown in Fig. 5 which causes the frame to move vertically, drawing the jaws in contact with the article.

In practice the truck is raised to a vertical position. When in this position the roller 19 will contact with the ground and the frame will slide to the position shown in Fig. 2, the hangers rotating on the shaft 21 allowing the frame to descend, and the gripping levers to open. l/Vhen the article has been placed upon the truck the same is tilted back to the position shown in Fig. 5, the shaft 21 assuming the weight of the truck and the article, thus forcing the frame upward and the grippingbars in contact with the article to be conveyed. When it is desired to unload the truck, the frame is brought back to a vertical position and the weight ofthe article thereby taken ofl of the axle 21 resulting in the gripping levers being allowed to open, the article in this man ner being readily released.

held in position and released by manipulat ing the truck. The manipulation necessaryto grasp the article being the ordinary movement of the truck in loading andunlo-ading. Any movement of the truck other than that which is normally used in placing the an ticle in position and removing the same be ing unnecessary. Attention is also called to the fact that the entire structure is such as may be easily and economically manufactured, the various parts being readily assembled.

hat claimed is:

1. A load retaining device for trucks, co nsisting of a member slidably supported by the truck, gripping jaws, an operative connection between said jaws and member, a shaft carried by the truck, hangers connected to said shaft and said sliding membeig an axle, wheel-s mounted upon. said axle, and a pivoted connection between said hangers and axle.

2. A load retaining-device for trucks, con sisting of a member slidably supported by the truck, gripping jaws, a slidingconnection between said aws and member, a shaft carried by the truck, hangers connected to said shaft and said sliding member, an axle, wheels mounted upon said axle, and a pivoted connection between said hangers and axle.

3. A load retainingdevice for trucks, consisting of a member slidably supported by the truck, a plurality of pivotally supported gripping jaws, a connection between said jaws and said member, an axle, wheels arranged on said axle, a shaft supported by the truck, and a plurality of hangers pivotally connecting said shaft and axle, said hangers having an operative connection with said sliding member.

41-. A. load. retaining device for trucks, consisting of a member slidably supported by the truck, a plurality of pivotally supported gripping jaws, saic jaws being capable of lateral movement with respect to the truck, a connection between said jaws and member, an axle, wheels arranged on said axle, a shaft snpportedby the truck, and a plurality of hangers pivotally connecting said shaft and axle, said hangers having an operative connection with said sliding member.

A load retaining device for trucks, con-- sisting of a member slidably supported by the truck, a plurality of recurved gripping jaws supported by the truck, a block supported to slide transversely of the sliding member, a link connection.between said aws and said block, a supporting axle, said axle having a pivotal connection with the truck,

and means for sliding said member as said truck is moved with respect to the axle.

6. A load retaining device for trucks, consisting of a rectangular frame slidably sup- ;ported by the truck, said frame being formed with spaced bars forming guides, a

block slidably mounted between said bars, a

plurality of recurved gripping jaws pivotallysupported by said truck, said jaws hav mg a link connection with said block, an

axle, a shaft supported by the truck, hang-- ers pi votall y connecting said shaft and axle, and a rod connecting each hanger with the sliding frame.

7. In a truck,a fran1e,a plurality of piw oted gripping members, a supporting axle,

' and means whereby movement of said frame relative to said axle will cause said gripping members to swing on their pivots.

8. A load retaining device for trucks in cluding pivoted gripping means, a supporting'axle forthetruck, and means for actuating said gripping means by movementof the truck with respect to the supporting axle.

9. A load retaining device for trucks, in-

. eluding a pair-of gripping members, a supporting axle, and means actuated by the j movement of the truck Wltll respect to sand axle for actuating said gripping members, said members being capable of a snnult-aneous lateral movement in the same direction.

10. A truck including-a body, supporting wheels hung therefrom, load gripping members movably mounted on the body, and means operated by said wheels when the body is elevated to leading position, for shifting the gripping members apart and, when the truck is lowered to normal position, to shift the gripping members into engagement with the load.

11. A truck including a body, supporting wheels, an axle carried by the wheels and movable relative to the body, load gripping members movably mounted on the body, means actuated by the-shitting ofthe wheels and axle relative to the body when said body is moved to loading position, for shifting the load grippingunembers apart and, when the body is moved to normal position, for moving the members toward each other.

12.v The combination with a truck body, an axle movable relative thereto, and supporting wheels on the axle, of load gripping members movably mounted upon the body, means operated by the axle when moved in onedirection relative to the body for shifting the load gripping members apart, and, when moved in the opposite direction' relative to the body, for drawing said members toward each other.-

13. A truck including a body, an axle movable relative thereto, supporting Wheels on the axle, oppositely disposed load gripping members upon the body, and means operated by the movement of the axle in one direction relative to the body for shifting said members apart and, when moved in the opposite direction relative to the body, for moving said members toward each other, said means including an element shiftable to permit gripping of a load when off center upon the truck.

14. A truck including a body, an axle shiftable relative thereto, supporting wheels on the axle, an equalizing member movably connected to the body, load gripping members movably mounted on the body, means connected to the equalizing member and shiftable by the axle when moved in one direction relative to the body, for moving the load engaging members toward each other and, when the axle is moved in the other direction, to move said load engaging members apart.

15. A truck including a body, an axle movable relative thereto, supporting wheels on the axle, load gripping members oppositely disposed and movably connected to the body, mechanism operated by the axle when shifted in one direction relative to the body for moving the load gripping members apart and, when shifted in the opposite direction relative to the body, for moving the load gripping members toward each other, said mechanism including an equalizer for centering the load gripping members upon the load when the same is ofi' center with respect to the truck.

16. A truck including a body, a wheel supported axle mounted to swing relative thereto, load gripping members movably mounted on the body, means for receiving the weight of the truck when elevated out of normal position, means operated by the axle and wheels while the truck is being elevated, for shifting the load engaging members away from each other, and, while the truck body is being lowered, for shifting the load enagaging members toward each other.

17. A truck including a body, an axle mounted to swing relative thereto, supporting wheels on the axle, load gripping members movable transversely of the body, a guide upon the body, a spreading element mounted on the guide, means operated by the axle when swung relative to the body for shifting the spreading element along the guide, and means operated by said spreading element for moving the load gripping members toward or from each other.

18. A truck including a body, an axle mounted to swing relative thereto, supporting wheels on the axle, load gripping members movably mounted on the body, a toggle movably mounted relative to the body, a connection between the toggle and the axle, pivoted members connected, at one end, to the toggle and at their other end to the load gripping members.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED BROCHU.

Witnesses:

J. N. FOURNIER, H. A. LA BERGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

